Coursera is making a big push to have people pay $49 to attend the program to earn a certificate; however, learners can gain access to all course materials for free by choosing to "audit" the course.

The subject of mindshift, which focuses on learning in order to boost career prospects, is explored by Oakley in her new book, Mindshift, which comes out April 18, 2017. According to the MOOC syllabus, topics cover change, "happy learning," learning and careers and adopting a "learning lifestyle."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at dian@dischaffhauser.com or on Twitter @schaffhauser.